diff --git a/apps/api/src/routes/game.ts b/apps/api/src/routes/game.ts
index d83e046..f6affe1 100644
--- a/apps/api/src/routes/game.ts
+++ b/apps/api/src/routes/game.ts
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ import { currentSchemaVersion } from "../data/schemaVersion.js";
 import { prisma } from "../db/client.js";
 import { authMiddleware } from "../middleware/auth.js";
 import { getOrResetDailyChallenges } from "../services/dailyChallenges.js";
+import { fetchDiscordUserById } from "../services/discord.js";
 import { logger } from "../services/logger.js";
 import { calculateOfflineEarnings } from "../services/offlineProgress.js";
 import {
@@ -685,11 +686,34 @@ gameRouter.get("/load", async(context) => {
   try {
     const discordId = context.get("discordId");
 
-    const [ record, playerRecord ] = await Promise.all([
-      prisma.gameState.findUnique({ where: { discordId } }),
-      prisma.player.findUnique({ where: { discordId } }),
+    const [ [ record, playerRecord ], freshDiscordUser ] = await Promise.all([
+      Promise.all([
+        prisma.gameState.findUnique({ where: { discordId } }),
+        prisma.player.findUnique({ where: { discordId } }),
+      ]),
+      fetchDiscordUserById(discordId),
     ]);
 
+    // Refresh avatar in DB when Discord returns an updated hash
+    if (
+      freshDiscordUser !== null
+      && playerRecord !== null
+      && freshDiscordUser.avatar !== playerRecord.avatar
+    ) {
+      playerRecord.avatar = freshDiscordUser.avatar;
+      void prisma.player.update({
+        data:  { avatar: freshDiscordUser.avatar },
+        where: { discordId },
+      }).catch((error: unknown) => {
+        void logger.error(
+          "avatar_refresh",
+          error instanceof Error
+            ? error
+            : new Error(String(error)),
+        );
+      });
+    }
+
     if (!record) {
       // No save found — create a fresh state (handles nuked DB or first-time load race)
       if (!playerRecord) {
@@ -757,6 +781,7 @@ gameRouter.get("/load", async(context) => {
      */
     if (playerRecord !== null) {
       state.player.characterName = playerRecord.characterName;
+      state.player.avatar = playerRecord.avatar;
     }
 
     const now = Date.now();
diff --git a/apps/api/src/services/discord.ts b/apps/api/src/services/discord.ts
index ac37348..8b82ae8 100644
--- a/apps/api/src/services/discord.ts
+++ b/apps/api/src/services/discord.ts
@@ -106,6 +106,40 @@ const fetchDiscordUser = async(
   }
 };
 
+/**
+ * Fetches a Discord user's profile by their Discord ID using the bot token.
+ * Returns null on any failure so callers are never blocked by Discord API issues.
+ * @param discordId - The Discord user ID to look up.
+ * @returns The Discord user object, or null if the fetch fails.
+ */
+const fetchDiscordUserById = async(
+  discordId: string,
+): Promise<DiscordUser | null> => {
+  const botToken = process.env.DISCORD_BOT_TOKEN;
+  if (botToken === undefined || botToken === "") {
+    return null;
+  }
+  try {
+    const response = await fetch(
+      `https://discord.com/api/v10/users/${discordId}`,
+      { headers: { Authorization: `Bot ${botToken}` } },
+    );
+    if (!response.ok) {
+      return null;
+    }
+    /* eslint-disable-next-line @typescript-eslint/consistent-type-assertions -- Response JSON matches DiscordUser shape */
+    return await (response.json() as Promise<DiscordUser>);
+  } catch (error) {
+    void logger.error(
+      "discord_fetch_user_by_id",
+      error instanceof Error
+        ? error
+        : new Error(String(error)),
+    );
+    return null;
+  }
+};
+
 /**
  * Builds the Discord OAuth authorisation URL.
  * @returns The full OAuth URL to redirect the user to.
@@ -133,4 +167,4 @@ const buildOAuthUrl = (): string => {
 };
 
 export type { DiscordTokenResponse, DiscordUser };
-export { buildOAuthUrl, exchangeCode, fetchDiscordUser };
+export { buildOAuthUrl, exchangeCode, fetchDiscordUser, fetchDiscordUserById };
diff --git a/apps/api/test/routes/game.spec.ts b/apps/api/test/routes/game.spec.ts
index b469ecf..5638328 100644
--- a/apps/api/test/routes/game.spec.ts
+++ b/apps/api/test/routes/game.spec.ts
@@ -19,6 +19,10 @@ vi.mock("../../src/middleware/auth.js", () => ({
   }),
 }));
 
+vi.mock("../../src/services/discord.js", () => ({
+  fetchDiscordUserById: vi.fn().mockResolvedValue(null),
+}));
+
 const DISCORD_ID = "test_discord_id";
 const CURRENT_SCHEMA_VERSION = 1;
 
@@ -200,6 +204,75 @@ describe("game route", () => {
       expect(body.offlineGold).toBeGreaterThan(0);
       expect(body.offlineEssence).toBeGreaterThan(0);
     });
+
+    it("syncs updated avatar from Discord into the returned state", async () => {
+      const todayUTC = new Date().toISOString().slice(0, 10);
+      const state = makeState();
+      vi.mocked(prisma.gameState.findUnique).mockResolvedValueOnce({ state } as never);
+      vi.mocked(prisma.player.findUnique).mockResolvedValueOnce(
+        makePlayer({ lastLoginDate: todayUTC, avatar: "old_hash" }) as never,
+      );
+      vi.mocked(prisma.gameState.update).mockResolvedValueOnce({} as never);
+      vi.mocked(prisma.player.update).mockResolvedValueOnce({} as never);
+      const { fetchDiscordUserById } = await import("../../src/services/discord.js");
+      vi.mocked(fetchDiscordUserById).mockResolvedValueOnce({
+        id: DISCORD_ID, username: "u", discriminator: "0", avatar: "new_hash",
+      });
+      const res = await app.fetch(new Request("http://localhost/game/load"));
+      expect(res.status).toBe(200);
+      const body = await res.json() as { state: GameState };
+      expect(body.state.player.avatar).toBe("new_hash");
+    });
+
+    it("continues loading when the avatar DB update fails", async () => {
+      const todayUTC = new Date().toISOString().slice(0, 10);
+      const state = makeState();
+      vi.mocked(prisma.gameState.findUnique).mockResolvedValueOnce({ state } as never);
+      vi.mocked(prisma.player.findUnique).mockResolvedValueOnce(
+        makePlayer({ lastLoginDate: todayUTC, avatar: "old_hash" }) as never,
+      );
+      vi.mocked(prisma.gameState.update).mockResolvedValueOnce({} as never);
+      vi.mocked(prisma.player.update).mockRejectedValueOnce(new Error("db error"));
+      const { fetchDiscordUserById } = await import("../../src/services/discord.js");
+      vi.mocked(fetchDiscordUserById).mockResolvedValueOnce({
+        id: DISCORD_ID, username: "u", discriminator: "0", avatar: "new_hash",
+      });
+      const res = await app.fetch(new Request("http://localhost/game/load"));
+      expect(res.status).toBe(200);
+    });
+
+    it("continues loading when the avatar DB update fails with a non-Error value", async () => {
+      const todayUTC = new Date().toISOString().slice(0, 10);
+      const state = makeState();
+      vi.mocked(prisma.gameState.findUnique).mockResolvedValueOnce({ state } as never);
+      vi.mocked(prisma.player.findUnique).mockResolvedValueOnce(
+        makePlayer({ lastLoginDate: todayUTC, avatar: "old_hash" }) as never,
+      );
+      vi.mocked(prisma.gameState.update).mockResolvedValueOnce({} as never);
+      vi.mocked(prisma.player.update).mockRejectedValueOnce("raw string error");
+      const { fetchDiscordUserById } = await import("../../src/services/discord.js");
+      vi.mocked(fetchDiscordUserById).mockResolvedValueOnce({
+        id: DISCORD_ID, username: "u", discriminator: "0", avatar: "new_hash",
+      });
+      const res = await app.fetch(new Request("http://localhost/game/load"));
+      expect(res.status).toBe(200);
+    });
+
+    it("keeps stored avatar when Discord returns null", async () => {
+      const todayUTC = new Date().toISOString().slice(0, 10);
+      const state = makeState();
+      vi.mocked(prisma.gameState.findUnique).mockResolvedValueOnce({ state } as never);
+      vi.mocked(prisma.player.findUnique).mockResolvedValueOnce(
+        makePlayer({ lastLoginDate: todayUTC, avatar: "stored_hash" }) as never,
+      );
+      vi.mocked(prisma.gameState.update).mockResolvedValueOnce({} as never);
+      const { fetchDiscordUserById } = await import("../../src/services/discord.js");
+      vi.mocked(fetchDiscordUserById).mockResolvedValueOnce(null);
+      const res = await app.fetch(new Request("http://localhost/game/load"));
+      expect(res.status).toBe(200);
+      const body = await res.json() as { state: GameState };
+      expect(body.state.player.avatar).toBe("stored_hash");
+    });
   });
 
   describe("POST /save", () => {
diff --git a/apps/api/test/services/discord.spec.ts b/apps/api/test/services/discord.spec.ts
index 5ca4e97..cf924ae 100644
--- a/apps/api/test/services/discord.spec.ts
+++ b/apps/api/test/services/discord.spec.ts
@@ -104,4 +104,53 @@ describe("discord service", () => {
       await expect(exchangeCode("some_code")).rejects.toBe("raw string error");
     });
   });
+
+  describe("fetchDiscordUserById", () => {
+    it("returns null when DISCORD_BOT_TOKEN is missing", async () => {
+      delete process.env["DISCORD_BOT_TOKEN"];
+      const { fetchDiscordUserById } = await import("../../src/services/discord.js");
+      const result = await fetchDiscordUserById("123456");
+      expect(result).toBeNull();
+    });
+
+    it("returns null when DISCORD_BOT_TOKEN is empty", async () => {
+      process.env["DISCORD_BOT_TOKEN"] = "";
+      const { fetchDiscordUserById } = await import("../../src/services/discord.js");
+      const result = await fetchDiscordUserById("123456");
+      expect(result).toBeNull();
+    });
+
+    it("returns null when response is not ok", async () => {
+      process.env["DISCORD_BOT_TOKEN"] = "bot_token";
+      mockFetch.mockResolvedValueOnce({ ok: false, statusText: "Not Found" });
+      const { fetchDiscordUserById } = await import("../../src/services/discord.js");
+      const result = await fetchDiscordUserById("123456");
+      expect(result).toBeNull();
+    });
+
+    it("returns null when fetch throws", async () => {
+      process.env["DISCORD_BOT_TOKEN"] = "bot_token";
+      mockFetch.mockRejectedValueOnce(new Error("network error"));
+      const { fetchDiscordUserById } = await import("../../src/services/discord.js");
+      const result = await fetchDiscordUserById("123456");
+      expect(result).toBeNull();
+    });
+
+    it("returns null when fetch throws a non-Error value", async () => {
+      process.env["DISCORD_BOT_TOKEN"] = "bot_token";
+      mockFetch.mockRejectedValueOnce("raw string error");
+      const { fetchDiscordUserById } = await import("../../src/services/discord.js");
+      const result = await fetchDiscordUserById("123456");
+      expect(result).toBeNull();
+    });
+
+    it("returns the user on success", async () => {
+      process.env["DISCORD_BOT_TOKEN"] = "bot_token";
+      const user = { id: "123456", username: "testuser", discriminator: "0", avatar: "abc123" };
+      mockFetch.mockResolvedValueOnce({ ok: true, json: () => Promise.resolve(user) });
+      const { fetchDiscordUserById } = await import("../../src/services/discord.js");
+      const result = await fetchDiscordUserById("123456");
+      expect(result).toMatchObject({ id: "123456", avatar: "abc123" });
+    });
+  });
 });